STUNNING sunrises and calm reflections are among some of the inspiring images that a gardener is hoping will allow him to make photography his full time occupation.

Wayne Farrell is the latest aspiring photographer to share some of the scenes of the county he has captured on film with the judges of VisitWiltshire’s annual photography competition.

Having lived in Monkton Farleigh for just over 25 years he said he had encountered the most extreme weather conditions.

“This lends itself to some fantastic seasonal photo opportunities, baking hot summers days with glorious sunsets - when we're lucky - to deep snow and ice in winter,” he said.

“In autumn; my favourite season, fantastic colours appear in the foliage of trees and woodlands and my camera rarely leaves my side during this time of year! We’re lucky in Wiltshire to have hundreds of acres of woodlands and hedgerow trees which are at their best in the later months.”

He revealed he has only been taking photographs for ten years but started to concentrate seriously on the art in the last two years.

“I currently work full time so the evenings and weekends are dedicated to capturing images,” he said.

“My main area of interest is in events and festivals as I love to capture photos of the public enjoying music concerts, country fairs and carnivals.

“Though, away from the hustle of public events my other passion is landscapes, in particular interesting landmarks and country views in Wiltshire. This is when it is quiet and I feel calm in the natural setting of our county.

“With photography I have learned the art of patience, to be able to wait for the perfect light - usually this means early starts to capture the sunrise or waiting for the last light of day for a sunset image, coffee has become my best friend at these times!

"My aim is to produce a large portfolio of work in order to eventually make the switch from my full time commitments to following my passion for photography.”

He has now selected five images to put before the judges for consideration in the competition.

One of these captures the county’s rolling hillside from the White Horse overlooking Westbury and Bratton.

“It is an incredible vantage point to see for miles across Wiltshire,” he said.

“For this photo I hiked to the fence line just below the carved horse figure and framed the gate and view to Westbury town to incorporate the golden setting sun. I have dozens of photos of the white horse, so thought an alternative viewpoint would be fun to try.

“The weather was freezing! It was late January and the hillside was shrouded with mist and ice for much of the day until a break in the sky where this glorious sun revealed itself. A cold nose and toes can be very distracting though.”

A childhood love of Shearwater Lake has also crept into his submissions with a striking image of a reflection captured there.

“This was always a firm favourite of mine to visit when I was a child as I knew that Longleat Safari Park was nearby and we'd get to see the monkeys after a quick trip to Shearwater Lake for stone skimming,” he said.

“What child could resist messing about near water and seeing monkeys!

“In autumn the tree line comes to life with an array of golden tones in the leaves - the fading greens, vibrant oranges and other hues are reflected in the still waters making the perfect scene to photograph. Typically you wouldn't have the horizon line dead centre in a photo but this works well to capture a perfect symmetrical scene balanced by the blue October sky.”

He also captured a sea of bluebells in Kingsdown Woods. The wood, which is near his home, is no larger than an acre, and once the bluebells began to flower this year he took his camera with him to capture the scene.

“Nestled amongst the flowers are smaller white woodland anemones and violas," he said.

"The smooth trunks and vibrant green leaves of the beech trees creates a perfect canopy above the bluebells and helps to lower the light levels making photographing the flowers easier.”

His love of autumn also comes through in one of his pictures which was taken on a popular circular walk from Monkton Farleigh village bordering farmland to Browns Folly Woods overlooking Bath.

“This particular scene is taken during last year’s autumn, which had the most incredible colours not seen for many years,” he said.

“The landscape stretches from the village cottages across the fields to the hillside of Salisbury Plain in the distance. I was without my tripod on this day so nestled the zoom lens of my camera in a crack of a large fence post to steady it and clicked the shutter.

"I love how all the trees in the landscape beyond are beacons of orange and brown colours dotted throughout the countryside.”

For his final entry he captured a scene of lambs at Hazelbury Manor, an organically run farm nestled in an historic medieval valley.

“There is a network of footpaths through the estate which are perfect to seeing livestock in the fields,” he said.

“These lambs had just been put out on the new grass and were resting after a busy early morning of jumping around and feeding from their mothers. The golden first light of the day began to stream down in patches through the trees and highlighted the sleeping lambs beneath.

"Part of the attraction of the historic landscape of Wiltshire for me is the timeless farming practices that still continue and I enjoy showcasing these alongside the wider landscape views.

Photographers can submit up to five photographs each month until the end of September to be in with the chance of winning the competition. For full details visit www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/ideas-and-inspiration/competitions